LETTERS: Teachers Health Trust hurts recruiting

To the editor:

Regarding the article on the Clark County Education Association’s Teachers Health Trust, all I can say is, wow! (“Teachers Health Trust nearing collapse,” June 8 Review-Journal). And we thought it was hard to recruit new teachers to Nevada before. How will the news that the Teachers Health Trust is on the brink of collapse affect our already beleaguered ability to attract new teachers?

CCEA Executive Director John Vellardita blames the financial woes on Obamacare. When will we ever learn?

WILLIAM D. CUFF

HENDERSON

Project Neon

To the editor:

I can vividly recall, as I was driving out-of-town family members to the airport between U.S. Highway 95 and Tropicana Avenue, saying to them that maybe the next time they visit, the construction on Interstate 15 will be done and the traffic congestion will be over. That was 40 years ago, and it seems as if the improvement projects on I-15 have since been perpetual.

Now we are being told about Project Neon, to widen and ease traffic flow on I-15, something we all can agree is needed (“Construction pain to gain efficient interchange coming,” June 11 Review-Journal). But what is going through my head is how we will face many more years of delays, added congestion, traffic headaches and alternate routes, as they once again improve traffic flow. Boy, am I excited!

I guess traffic engineers and designers have never heard the old adage, “If something is not worth doing right the first time, it isn’t worth doing at all.”

JIM HAYES

LAS VEGAS

Police and pool party

To the editor:

Regarding the article on the fight at the pool party in McKinney, Texas, (“Texas police officer criticized for manhandling girl resigns,” June 10 Review-Journal), does it ever occur to the young people who create that type of problem that they were not supposed to be there to begin with? This is a pool for the residents of the gated community and their two guests.

When others were denied admission, they attempted to enter the area anyway and police were called. Instead of leaving, they challenged the officer, and the 14-year-old girl, according to her friend, started “running her mouth,” though he also stated “she has freedom of speech” so it’s OK for her to badmouth the officer.

My parents taught me that if there is ever a problem, treat the police with respect, and they will treat you with respect. Evidently, the 14-year-old’s parents did not do a very good job of teaching her. Most of the time when there is a problem between police and an individual, regardless of whether the individual is black or white, it is due to that individual doing something of a criminal nature. When the confrontation gets out of hand and the police take action, the parents never blame themselves or their child — they blame society for the parents doing a bad job.

I would like to see law enforcement officials state that the person was involved in criminal activity, and criminal activity can be dangerous. Let’s quit blaming an officer for making a split-second decision and start placing the blame where it belongs, on the individual and/or their parents. The media has to stop publishing articles that do not give all of the facts.

ROBERT BURTON

LAS VEGAS

Help needy veterans

To the editor:

As a Vietnam-era veteran of the Marines, I found the article about Defense Secretary Ashton Carter wanting to give Vietnam $18 million to buy U.S. patrol boats very disturbing (“U.S. will help Vietnam purchase patrol boats,” June 1 Review-Journal).

This money should go to disabled and homeless veterans of the Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars. According to the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition, 800 homeless veterans live in Las Vegas.

RICHARD AULINO

LAS VEGAS